Tag Archives: North Carolina

Fort Macon SP, Croatan NF, Holly Shelter Game Land (NC)

This full Carolina Butterfly Society 2-day field trip will be held in eastern North Carolina where we plan on visiting three different locations. Our target butterfly species varies by location and are listed below. The leader is Harry LeGrand and possibly Lori Arent.

Saturday, April 12, 2025: Meet at Fort Macon State Park, at the Coastal Education Center parking lot at the end of East Fort Macon Rd, Atlantic Beach, NC (GPS coordinates 34.6977, -76.6787). Meet at 10:00 am. Target species is Crystal Skipper, which should be easy; not many other species are present at this time of year here; Henry’s Elfin (unlikely). Probably eat lunch at the visitor center, outside on benches. Restrooms are available inside the visitor center. (They are not available in Croatan, so best to eat and use the restroom here.)

After lunch, we will travel to several sites in Croatan National Forest, such as Millis Road in Carteret County, and then much farther north to Little Road in Craven County. Millis Road and Little Road are gravel but should be fine for about all vehicles.

Target species are Carolina Roadside-Skipper, Lace-winged Roadside-Skipper, Intricate Satyr, and Holly Azure. Little field work occurs in the forest in spring, and few flowers are blooming then, so we have little previous data here for April. Thus, expectations are low but hopes are high!

Sunday, April 13, 2025: Holly Shelter Game Land. Meet at the eastern end of the Topsail Baptist Church parking lot, closest to the entrance road to the game land, on US 17 (GPS coordinates 34.4099, -77.6571). Meet at 10:00 am. This is about 4 miles northeast of Hampstead. Note that there is another church immediately to the southwest, on the same side (north) of the highway. Obviously, don’t park there; park at the church lot at Topsail church where you can literally see the entrance road to the game land. As this is a Sunday, there likely will be some churchgoers parking in the lot closer to the church anyway.

It may well be a bit too early and “dewy”/cool to start butterflying, so be prepared to look for birds such as Red-cockaded Woodpecker and Bachman’s Sparrow, and look for wildflowers and carnivorous plants, until things warm up. We will carpool here, as the gravel/dirt roads are usually fine for most vehicles but occasionally there are sandy places or wet spots in the road.

Target species (all formerly regular but now may be difficult) are Frosted Elfin, Yucca Giant-Skipper, Reversed Roadside-Skipper, Dusky Roadside-Skipper. Other targets are Dusted Skipper, Holly Azure. It might be slightly early for Little Metalmark, which is regular by late April. We will have lunch in the field. There are no restrooms here (or in Croatan). The gate is “always” open in April but is closed from May to about Labor Day; this helps deter Venus Flytrap poaching. So, yes, we may well look for flytraps here, but they won’t be in bloom.

There are many motels in Jacksonville, which is a good midway point between these two trips. Of course, people may want lodging the day before in the Morehead City or Havelock areas, or the Wilmington area after Holly Shelter.

As stated previously, Harry LeGrand will lead. Either register on the CBS website (using the “Register” link above) or RSVP to Harry at the email address below if you plan to participate. Please bring water, lunch, binoculars, cameras and field guides. Sunscreen, bug spray, long pants and close-toed shoes are highly recommended.

Western North Carolina (River Road, Hot Springs, NC)

The Carolina Butterfly Society Western NC Chapter will hold a butterfly walk on Saturday, March 29, 2025, hiking on River Road along the French Broad River outside of Hot Springs, NC. We will be looking for the Olympia Marble and other early butterflies. This area was hard hit by Hurricane Helene, so we’re not sure what we will find. We’ll caravan and get out of the cars to explore different sections on foot.

Meet at Broadwing Farm, 20 Berry Wills Road, Hot Springs, NC. Park in front of the “event venue” building that’s located at 165 Broadwing Farm Lane, Hot Springs, NC (GPS coordinates 35.9008, -82.8291). Use the following link, https://www.broadwingfarmcabins.com/the-farm/directions/ for additional information and specific directions from nearby cities.

Walking is easy to moderate. There’s a composting toilet available where we stop for lunch. Pete Dixon will lead. Either register on the CBS website (using the “Register” link above) or RSVP to Pete at the email address below if you plan to participate. Please bring water, lunch, binoculars, cameras and field guides. Sunscreen, bug spray, long pants and close-toed shoes are highly recommended.

CANCELLED – Post-Symposium Walk – Jordan Lake Tailrace and Deep River State Natural Area (Moncure, NC)

CANCELLED – Due to damage, flooding and road closures from hurricane Helene, the CBS Board has decided to cancel the October 5 symposium and this walk that was scheduled for Sunday, October 6.

This is a post-symposium butterfly walk but anyone is welcome whether they plan on attending the symposium or not.

We will meet at the Jordan Lake Tailrace. The address is 2060 Jordan Dam Road, Moncure, NC 27559 (or GPS coordinates 35.65231, -79.06748). We will walk around the fields and outflow area to look for butterflies. Going will be slow, with level to moderate terrain, some mowed field edges or walking through grassy fields. Be prepared for some exploring. Brian Bockhahn will lead.

Restrooms are available on the property. Please bring water, lunch, binoculars, cameras and field guides. Sunscreen, bug spray, a hat, long pants and close-toed shoes are highly recommended.

After 45 minutes or so, we’ll drive 3 miles, about 6 minutes away, to a relatively new section of Deep River State Natural Area. This area has not been visited much, so we really don’t know what to expect; most sightings will be new for the property. The trailhead is behind the Moncure Community Health Center. The address is 7228 Moncure Pittsboro Road, Moncure, NC 27559 (or GPS coordinates 35.63146, -79.09675). We will hike a series of old roads, first through a recently logged area, around an old home site and pond, then down into the rich floodplain and an old rock quarry along the Deep River. The terrain will not be level, and the trail is not maintained.

Please use the symposium registration form if you are attending the symposium and plan to participate. If you are NOT attending the symposium, you can register for this walk online at the CBS website or RSVP to Brian Bockhahn at the email address below.

CANCELLED – Pre-Symposium Walk – Mason Farm Biological Reserve (Chapel Hill, NC)

CANCELLED – Due to damage, flooding and road closures from hurricane Helene, the CBS Board has decided to cancel the October 5 symposium and this walk that was scheduled for Friday, October 4.

LOCATION CHANGE (due to hunting at previous venue)

This is a pre-symposium butterfly walk but anyone is welcome whether they plan on attending the symposium or not.

We will meet at the parking lot at Mason Farm Biological Reserve trailhead. There is no street address, but the GPS coordinates are 35.89233, -79.01647. The walking loop is about 2 miles or so and is flat. The trail winds through several habitats including hardwood forest, mixed pine forest, open fields, and has a nice boardwalk section through a wetland. Approximately 60+ species of butterflies have been tallied here over the years and seasons. Of course, we will not have that diversity in October, but it’s still a nice walk. Jeff Pippen and Dave and Marty Kastner will lead.

No restrooms are available on the property. Please bring water, snacks (or a late lunch), binoculars, cameras and field guides. Sunscreen, bug spray, long pants and close-toed shoes are highly recommended.

Directions – From the north, drive to Finley Golf Course Road in Chapel Hill. Drive around the Finley Golf Club clubhouse and parking lot and past the driving range. Directly after the driving range at the power lines, take the right fork onto Mason Farm Acc Road (which passes under the power lines). After about 0.38 miles, turn to the right on the gravel access road to the creek, then drive over the concrete ford (which always has at least some water flowing over it, but should be passable). The trailhead parking lot is just to the south of the creek.

CANCELLED – 2024 Symposium – Stan Adams Training Facility (Chapel Hill, NC)

CANCELLED – Due to damage, flooding and road closures from hurricane Helene, the CBS Board has decided to cancel the symposium that was scheduled for Saturday, October 5.

Come and join us for the Carolina Butterfly Society 2024 Symposium that will be held on Saturday, October 5 at the Stanford M. Adams Training Facility in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Check-in will be from 9:00 am to 9:30 am. The cost to attend is $20.00 per person, which includes lunch, drinks and snacks. Please return your registration, lunch form (available using the Symposium Registration & Lunch Form 2024 link below) and payment so we receive them by September 25.

Featured Presentations

“My Experiences as a Relatively and Perpetually New Butterflier, or How to take up Butterflying without feeling overwhelmed and intimidated” – Alison Smith, CBS Past-President and Current Secretary

“Those Skippers and Other Hard to Identify Butterflies” – Harry LeGrand – Co-Author of Butterflies of North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Georgia

“Monarchs and Migration in North Carolina” – Brian Bockhahn – North Carolina State Parks

“(Mostly) Native Pollinator Gardens for Butterflies” – Debbie Roos – Agriculture Agent of the Chatham County Center of North Carolina Cooperative Extension

Walk – Tour of the “Pollinator Paradise” Garden in Pittsboro, NC, led by Debbie Roos. Directions can be obtained using the Symposium and Walk Directions 2024 link below. Hard copies will also be available at the symposium.

Additional Optional Opportunity – Visit Rachel’s Native Plants nursery in Pittsboro, NC. Directions can be obtained using the Symposium and Walk Directions 2024 link below. Hard copies will also be available at the symposium.

Symposium Registration and Lunch Form – Either click on or copy and paste the following link into your browser of choice – Symposium Registration & Lunch Form 2024

Directions

Symposium – Stanford M. Adams Training Facility
2832 Big Woods Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27517-7657
> 35.77721, -79.04465 = GPS Coordinates for driveway entrance at Jordan Lake Educational State Forest
> 35.77419, -79.04146 = GPS Coordinates for Stanford M. Adams Training Facility parking lot
— From US Hwy 64, travel north on Big Woods Road for 2.8 miles to the entrance of Jordan Lake Educational State Forest.
— Turn right (east) into the State Forest and follow the dirt road for 0.3 miles. The road will end at the parking lot for Stanford M. Adams Training Facility.

Symposium Walks – Either click on or copy and paste the following link into your browser of choice – Symposium and Walk Directions 2024

Lodging can be found in Chapel Hill and Apex, NC.

Additional Butterfly Walks have also been planned for Friday, October 4, from 1:00 pm until 4:00 pm at Transis Camp Road, Jordan Lake Game Land in Chapel Hill, NC, and Sunday, October 6, from 9:30 am until 2:00/3:00 pm at Jordan Lake Tailrace and Deep River State Natural Area in Moncure, NC. Please refer to the Events Calendar on these specific dates for full details. Directions can be obtained using the Symposium and Walk Directions 2024 link above. Hard copies will also be available at the symposium.

Make plans now to bring a friend and join us.

Mount Mitchell SP, Commissary Road Trail (Burnsville, NC)

This will be the first field trip for the newly created Western NC Chapter!

Attendees will meet at 11:00 am at 96 Holland Street, Asheville, 28801 (GPS coordinates 35.60645, -82.55455) and carpool to the Tourist Information Center at Mount Mitchell State Park (MOMI). The drive from Asheville to MOMI takes about an hour, mostly on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Carpooling is important since parking will be tight at this building during what is expected to be peak leaf season.

Our target species is the Green Comma. This is the best time and only reliable place to find them in North Carolina. We will explore along the Commissary Road Trail, which is an easy, graveled trail that starts near the back of the Tourist Information Center. Bathrooms are available at this building.

If you’re traveling from out of town and plan on staying overnight, make your hotel reservations early, again due to the probable demand during peak leaf season. If needed, the rain date will be Sunday, September 29.

Our trip leader is Heather Rayburn, who can be reached at the email address listed below. Please either contact Heather or register on the CBS website if you plan on attending.

Reynolda Gardens 2024 (Winston-Salem, NC)

On Saturday, October 19, 2024, the Triad Chapter of CBS (Carolina Butterfly Society) will hold a butterfly walk at the FORMAL GARDENS area of Reynolda Gardens.

After the CBS walk through the formal gardens, attendees are welcome to stay a little longer and visit other areas of the 134-acre grounds. These other areas include two miles of scenic walking trails, wetlands, paved pathways, thick woodlands, an expansive meadow for visitors to explore and enjoy and a waterfall, located along the Reynolda Village trail. Refer to the website below for a map and additional information.

Meet at the garden entrance greenhouse at 100 Reynolda Village, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27106 (or for those who prefer GPS coordinates, 36.12564, -80.28474). Please RSVP to Barbara Cullen at the email address below if you plan to participate.

Triad Chapter Coordinator’s Home Pollinator Garden (Forsyth County)

The Triad Chapter of CBS will hold a butterfly walk on Saturday, September 14 to the Triad Chapter coordinator’s home pollinator garden in Winston-Salem, NC. Please bring water, and, if you have them, a butterfly field guide, binoculars and a camera.

If you want to join in on this butterfly walk, you must register, either online at the CBS website or RSVP to Bernyce Pritchard, the walk organizer, at the email address below.

Marie Poteat’s Property (Jamestown, NC)

The Triad Chapter of CBS will hold a butterfly walk on Saturday, August 17 to Marie Poteat’s property in Jamestown, NC. Of all the triad butterfly reports this year, Maries by far have had the most butterflies. In large part, this is because Marie has spent years reintroducing caterpillar host plants and butterfly nectar plants on what was once her family’s 70-acre+ working farm. For those interested in Monarch butterflies, she has more than 25 species of the milkweed host plants. This hard work has paid off. She probably has more butterfly species visiting and breeding on her property than any other location in Guilford County.

Note that there are no rest rooms available; be sure to make a “pit stop” in town before you continue to the Poteat property. In addition, you will have to bring everything you need including water, a snack, a folding chair, a butterfly field guide, and, if you have them, binoculars and a camera.

Marie is limiting the number of participants to about 10 – 12 people. If you want to join in on this butterfly walk, you MUST register by contacting Marie at the email address below.

Summary: Butterfly walk, 8-17-24, Marie Poteat Property, 1111 Bales Chapel, Jamestown, NC beginning at 9:30 a.m. Limited to 10-12 participants. YOU MUST REGISTER IN ADVANCE IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE!

Pat Holder’s Home Butterfly Garden (Asheboro, NC)

On Saturday, June 15, 2024, the Triad Chapter of CBS (Carolina Butterfly Society) will hold a butterfly walk at Pat Holder’s native plant home butterfly garden in Asheboro, North Carolina. There will be safe parking on the side of the country road as well as a little parking in Pat’s driveway.

If you would like to attend, please contact Pat Holder at the email address below to RSVP and obtain her address (which, for privacy and security concerns, is not published here).